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Recent PoliticsPosts

Is Poverty Among Older Americans Undercounted?

Posted on 05/24/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | Money & Savings | Personal Health | PoliticsPoverty levels are much higher for older Americans when you factor in how much they need to spend on health care, the Census Bureau has found. While 9 percent or so of all Americans 65 and older were below the official poverty threshold in 2011 ($10,788 for an individual), 15 percent were below an alternative threshold that takes into account spending on health care. The alternative measure also takes into account variations in the cost of living, taxes, whether a …

What Can We Do to Help Veterans?

Posted on 05/24/2013 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

PoliticsAs we head into the long Memorial Day weekend, we honor those who sacrificed their lives for our country. Let’s also remember the veterans who fought alongside those who made the ultimate sacrifice. They made sacrifices of their own while fighting for our country, to secure our safety. They left their families, often for long periods of time. Many were injured and continue to have health care needs. Today, let’s think about helping those veterans — and their families — …

Spending Cuts to Delay Launch of New Weather Satellites

Posted on 05/21/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsWeather satellites, which help warn the public of coming disasters like the tornado in Moore, Okla., will be delayed in launching because of budget cuts. Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca M. Blank told members of the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year that the across-the-board budget cuts known as the sequester could have a significant impact on the satellites that track tornadoes and hurricanes. In a letter to Congress, Blank said that the next generation of what are called “geostationary weather …

Did Eleanor Roosevelt Really Pack a Pistol at 72?

Posted on 05/20/2013 by | Who's News | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsA just-published article on the news website Slate focuses on the little-known fact that Eleanor Roosevelt, who became famous and widely admired as an activist for causes such as integration and international human rights, possessed a handgun permit from New York state. The permit, issued to her in 1957, when she was 72, is part of an exhibit featuring the contents of Mrs. Roosevelt’s wallet, at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park, N.Y. As detailed in the …

At 85, Barbara Cook Joins the Supremes

Posted on 05/17/2013 by | Who's News | Comments

Bulletin Today | Entertainment | PoliticsWhere to hear some great music in the nation’s capital? If you’re a fan of orchestral music, opera, jazz or musical theater, there’s The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Should you prefer a more intimate venue, there’s Blues Alley. But would you ever think of the U.S. Supreme Court? Highly doubtful, to say the least. As it turns out, however, the court’s nine justices aren’t so completely consumed with weighty matters that they can’t take an occasional …

Senate Confirms Former Nurse to Run Medicare

Posted on 05/16/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin Today | Medicare | PoliticsBy Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A former intensive care nurse with a businesslike approach to a politically divisive public policy area won Senate approval May 15 to run Medicare and other major health insurance programs. By an overwhelming 91-7 vote, the Senate confirmed Marilyn Tavenner to oversee Medicare, Medicaid, children’s health insurance and coverage for the uninsured under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Together, the programs under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services …

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